Mechanical toy



Patented Oct. 13, 1925.

i :.1 STATES rnnnmaivn'sr'nnossfor NEW YORK, N. Y,

MECHANICAL rox.

Application filed January 14, 1925. Serial No. 2,242.

all whom/,fit may conce/m.:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND STRAUss,

a citizen of the United States of America,

residing at New York city, county of New York and State of New York,haveV invented certain new and useful Improvements inl Mechanical Toys,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to toys and in particular to one made to simulatea dirigible airship which will be propelled over the ground or throughthe air.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a toy airship, thepropeller of which will be capable of driving the same along the ground,or through the air when the toy is suspended.

A further object of the invention is to provide a toy of this characterwith a detachable running gear, so that it may be used without the gearto be iown in the air on the end of a string or can be used with therunning gear to travel along the ground, it being understood that itspropulsion is performed solely by the propeller.

A still further object is to provide a durable and amusing toy forchildren which can be operated by a propeller or drawn along the groundby the child, and one which will have few parts and can be manufacturedat small cost.

Referring to the drawing wherein I have shown a preferred embodiment ofmy invention Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing my toy airshipprovided with the detachable running gear,

Figure 2 is a view in front sectional elevation of the toy airship withthe running gear detached therefrom,

front elevation of Figure 3 is a view in the ,running gear detached fromthe airship; and,

Figure 4 is an enlarged partial section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure1 showing the propeller driving mechanism.

Referring to the drawing in detail 5 indicates the cigar shaped bodymember of the toy which may be made up of two matching portions 6soldered or otherwise suitably secured together at their edges, andenclosing a spring motor which comprises frame pieces 7 and 8 secured asby soldering in the lower piece 6 of the body portion and formingjournals for a plurality of shafts, the shaft 9 carryinga drum 10 to oneend of which is attached a driv- 1ng gear 1l. This gear islooselymounted on shaft 9, the latter having lixed thereto .at theopposite' end of the drum vr10, the yratchet wheel 12 whichis engaged bythe usual rpawl 13 lpivoted to the adjacent part 8 of the frame, toprevent the unwinding of the spring 14 which is coiled about the drumand has one end attached thereto adjacent the gear 11, the opposite endbeing secured to the ratchet wheel 12 so that when the shaft 9 is woundthrough the medium of its exteriorly extended nger piece 15 the spring14 is wound up, and subsequently operates the drive gear 11.

The gear 11 meshes with a pinion 16 the same being intermediate betweenthe gear 11 and the gear 17 to transmit the power to shafts 18 and 19which carry respectively the pinion 16 and gear 17, and are journaled inthe frame pieces 7 and 8, the shaft 19 carrying adjacent its center theflanged gear 20 which drives a horizontally disposed propeller shaft 21through the medium of the pinion 22.

The propeller shaft 21 extends through the rear end of the body 5 andcarries a propeller 23.

The lower part 6 of the body has secured thereto a hollow dependingportion 26 comprising side walls 23 which are grooved as at 24 and abottom wall 25. It will be evident that the part 26 can be stamped outof a piece of metal or other suitable material and soldered or otherwisesecured to the body 5. Also the grooves 24 may extend the entire lengthof the part 26 or only part of the length thereof, as shown in Figure l,so as to prevent any lengthwise movement of the running gear which isdetachably secured to the depending part 26, and comprises a hollowframe piece 27 stamped out to provide grooves or inwardly extendingprojections 28, the sides of the frame piece being adapted to snap overthe sides of the depending portion 26 so that the projections 28 willsnap into the grooves 24 of portion 26 to hold the running gear inattachment with the toy.

The frame piece 27 at its forward end is provided with two downwardlyand outwardly projection legs .29 which are attached to the axle 30which carries at its ends the wheels 31. piece 27 is provided with adownwardly ex- The rear of the frame tending leg 32 Which carries aWheel 33. The rear of the frame piece may carry two Wheels as at thefront, but it is desirable to cut the Weight down to a minimum to allowof fast propulsion of the toy by its propeller 23, which may be made oflight metal, cardboard or the like and suiiiciently large in diameter toforce the toy along. The top of the body is provided Withan eye 34 toWhich a string may be attached and the toy suspended; at Which time itwill fly around in a circle, the running gear of course, having beendetached.

It will be evident therefore that I have provided an amusing toy whichcan be adapted for travel in the air or along the ground, and one whichWill be moved solely by the power exerted by the propeller.

Having described my invention What I claim is l A toy airship comprisinga body memher having an elongated grooved depending portion, a propelleron the body member, a motor for driving said propeller, a running gearcomprising a frame having resilient side Walls having elongatedprojected portions in said Walls adapted to snap into and be retained insaid grooves, and Wheels on said running gear for permitting travel ofsaid toy on the ground.

FERDINAND STRAUS S.

